Watch for the Pink Slips! California teachers all over the state get pink slips next week, in face of draconian cutbacks to meet the California budget crisis. (NOTE: Wear PINK on Fri. the 13th, in support of our pink-slipped teachers!)
In the name of "cutting taxes," with the California Governator's new budget, there are cuts everywhere -- in social services, state services, and especially in education.
California will soon be 50th in the nation in per-student education spending! That's behind Arkansas and Alabama!
But California does NOT have high taxes!! According to the LA Times, California is 17th in the nation in taxes.
And, businesses are NOT leaving the state:
"We found that very few businesses either leave or enter the state," said Kolko. "California's job growth is pretty consistently at, or a little above, the U.S. average."
UPDATE Sign here to oppose California's 2/3 Rule (sez Rachel Maddow)
More on California taxes from the LA Times story
In an April 2008 report by Ross' group, California is called a "moderate tax state" based on the latest available figures. The report includes state and local taxes of all types in its computation, and rankings are based on taxation as a percentage of personal income. We tend to be higher on income taxes and lower on property taxes, Ross told me. We're also low on taxes for fuel and alcohol.
[snip]
Does it make sense that businesses got a huge tax break in last week's budget deal while working blokes got smacked? Between 2001 and 2005, according to Ross' group, the net personal income of California taxpayers increased 22.7% while net corporate profits in the state increased -- watch the blood pressure, now -- 557%.
California's business taxes are among the highest in national rankings. But companies benefit from a large workforce, a huge pool of customers and access to venture capital, said Jed Kolko of the Public Policy Institute of California. He's in the midst of a study that is debunking the claim that businesses are leaving the state in droves.
"We found that very few businesses either leave or enter the state," said Kolko. "California's job growth is pretty consistently at, or a little above, the U.S. average."